Travel is continually evolving and so are the accommodations, especially in the current conditions of the world. We are always looking for safe, affordable, efficient housing to enhance our travel experiences. We want the best possible amenities for the cheapest price and we want it to be nothing less than a world class experience. Is that too much to ask? Well, here recently developers have honed in on some unique ways to provide the experience that allows travelers to get all those requirements for an affordable price. Disclaimer: if you’re a luxury traveler…this probably isn’t for you. But if you’re open to unique and different types of experiences while foregoing some of the luxurious elements, then this is the post for you! Because we like to explore when visiting a new place, having luxury amenities isn’t priority for us. We’ll talk about a couple of unique places we’ve tried and some we would like to try as well as how we feel about them.

Futuristic Hotel

First up is Yotel. We hadn’t heard about this chain of hotels until we were looking for last minute accommodations in San Francisco. After searching seemingly every site for accommodations for weeks, we were not able to find something in the area we wanted for the right price and then discovered Yotel. This isn’t your ordinary hotel chain. Yotel is a hotel chain geared toward the independent tech savvy traveler who doesn’t need all the bells and whistles of a large hotel per se, but can get along fine with access to what has become everyday essentials. The idea is because they eliminate all of the unnecessary extras, they can provide you with a space that is really affordable in the heart of major cities. They offer what they call “cabins” for solo travelers that maximize on space efficiency. These cabins remind us of treehouses. They are built to be compact, only a few steps from one amenity to the next. For example, the room layout we had was when you walked in the room there was a vanity area and a bathroom. Beside the bathroom was a set of steps that took you to the bed that was directly over that area. That was the entire setup, no more than 5-6 steps to travel the entire setup. However, don’t worry if you’re a traveler that does require more space you can book a Queen Suite that will be closer to your more traditional hotel rooms still with the Yotel twist. They equip the room with several USB ports for charging, WiFi throughout the hotel, and chrome cast for displaying your devices on the tv. They also have common areas and meeting rooms for the travelers who need a bigger work space or need to collaborate with others. Overall the concept is progressive and looks to be the future of what travel looks like. Yotel is currently hosting in a few major cities like San Francisco, New York, Boston, and Washington, D.C. in the United States and several major international cities with plans of expanding. 

Tiny House Movement

Next on the list is tiny houses. Tiny houses burst on the scene a few years ago and are blazing the trail in efficient living. They originally came on the scene for permanent simple living but have also made a mark in travel because its easy upkeep and you can fit them in a lot of places for travelers to have access. They typically are smaller than 600 square feet and are built on foundations or trailers. We recently stayed in one through Airbnb on our Tennessee vs. North Carolina exploration trip. It was on a farm in Asheville, North Carolina and it was everything we needed for a great price. It also reminded us of a treehouse as the layout was similar in the sense that the living space was down stairs and the beds were overhead. We had a full bathroom and kitchenette, a bar dining area, and a couch for lounging. It was all we needed for the amount of time we spent there. And for a bonus, there was a hot tub in a private area attached. It doesn’t get any better than that.

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In The Trees

Last but not least, treehouses! Staying in treehouses has become very popular, especially during Covid, and because of the high demand you have to book in advance. We stayed in one in Austin, Texas during the winter (wouldn’t recommend it as it got pretty cold at night). These types of accommodations are truly unique as they are typically perched above the trees giving you some of the most amazing views. Depending on the experience you’re looking for you can get the off the grid experience (no Wi-fi and disconnected from everything and everyone) or you can stay in a modern treehouse that has hotel like amenities. In the treehouse where we stayed they had zip lines from each treehouse to the next so you could also go on a ziplining adventure. Very cool!

As you can see the options for living arrangements during travel are diversifying to become more accessible for all. It’s a great time to be a traveling explorer. Next up on our list to try is a Yurt. We have heard lots of good things about them and found many that are in locations that we would like to visit.

Have you had an experience with Yurts or any other type of living arrangement mentioned? Let us know! Or if you have suggestions for us to try connect with us and don’t forget to subscribe!